Remnants of a Curse
by Music is my Insperation
Summary: Tohru has freed the Juunishi from the curse and returned their memories of her to them. But she, in turn, has lost her memories of them! But time is quickly running out for Tohru. Because Akito isn't finished yet... Sequel to Give it all Away
1. Prevously: In Give it all Away

_Welcome! If you are a new reader, doubly welcome! If you have read my writings before, welcome back! Some of you returning readers probably know this, but this is the sequel to my previous story _Give it all Away_. Yes! But, don't worry about going back to read that! I am going to give you a full summery of that story in the first chapter, unless you feel the need to absolutely go back and read it, then go ahead :) But anyways... again, Welcome to my new story! Please enjoy chapter 1 of _The Remnants of a Curse.

OoO

Previously, in _Give it all away:_

Tohru had a very short time left to break the curse, and thus far had been fruitless in discoveries. But saying that she wanted to break the curse was a little bit of a cover up; she had decided long ago that if she couldn't break the curse, she would, at least, free Kyo from his future in confinement. And so, with little hope of finding a cure for the curse in a week, she went directly to the person who could help her the most. Akito.

The deal they made would hurt Tohru a lot, but she would keep Kyo away from that small dark room. And so, a party was planned for around a week later. All were invited; the Juunishi, Hanajima, Uotani, Shishou. But this party was no mere get together; that was for certain. For half way through the party, Akito showed up. And, with much struggle from the people involved, had Hatori erase their memories.

And after they forgot, Tohru was confined in the cat's room, but not for long. Akito brought her out slowly, as his private maid. Then he even went so far as to almost introduce her to the Juunishi, if a fateful food fight hadn't broken out. And of course, this food fight had incited Akito's wrath; luckily, Hatori was there to rescue Tohru from his furious clutches, and convinced Akito to allow her to become his personal maid.

Kyo, on the other hand, was dreaming dreams about a supposedly forgotten Tohru, though her face remained blurry in his head. His dreams haunted him every time he slept, which he did often now, because he loved to dream about his mystery maiden.

But, as time progressed, Tohru became encouraged to continue searching for a way to break the curse and eventually, she did. She found a small booklet in which told her how to break it. And so she did.

And, when the curse broke, Akito attacked her and knocked her unconscious. Kyo came to rescue her from certain doom. And, when Tohru woke from her unconscious state, she remembered nothing.

And so, the rest of Akito's plan was put into action. Finally, after so long, Tohru gave it all away.


	2. You Seriously Forgot!

_Hello! Welcome to the first official chapter of my brand new story! I sure hope you enjoy this! Oh, but the way, I plan on making these chapters much longer, so don't count the first chapter as an official chapter. Enjoy chapter one, readers! I hope you are please with how this goes!_

_OoO_

"Who are you?" Tohru asked, smiling and cocking her head slightly. This was strange... who was this handsome young man sitting before her? Where was she at? Oh, it was all so strange.. she felt light headed and a little dizzy. "Where am I?" she was still smiling. She always told herself, _If you feel icky, plant the biggest smile on your face, and soon you'll feel better. _And so that was the policy she stuck to.

The orange haired (_Like my mom! _She told herself), orange eyed person looked confused. "T-Tohru? Don't you... remember me? It's me.. Kyo!" He looked a little frazzled.

She shook her head. "Should I know you?"

He flinched and stood; he muttered something and made his exit. _I wonder what's wrong?_ She thought anxiously. _Did I do something to upset him...? I really don't know where I am. _She decided to find out. She stood up shakily... Ooh, she was dizzy...

She steadied herself and then tried to take a step; she very nearly collapsed. This was not a good sign. _What happened..? _she wondered, grasping the chair the boy had been sitting in to keep herself from falling. _Did I get sick somehow? Oh gosh... my head hurts. _She hummed slightly, a quiet way of showing sympathy for herself. She didn't dwell on it though. She needed to figure out where she was and why she was here... and she wanted to find out where Uo-chan and Hana-chan were; they would probably be around here somewhere, if she was ill.

She also wanted to figure out who that boy was... did she know him..? Nah... no guy that handsome would ever speak to her on will; maybe he was a doctor of some sort? A nurse maybe? Could guys be nurses? Maybe she would find out soon. She sure hoped she would!

OoO

Kyo was stunned. _"Who are you?" _she asked... Who am I? _Who am I?!?!?_ She had.. forgotten him? Was this some kind of cruel joke? Was he being played? How is it she had forgotten him? Surely, soon someone would jump out and shout "Just kidding, Kyo, you gullible cat!" Surely, that's what would happen. She couldn't have forgotten.

But the proof was right there... the confused look, the confused words, the connection that wasn't made in her mind. Was this some kind of curse-breaking side-affect? She would remember soon... right? There was only one person who could possibly answer all of his questions... well, two people. But one he didn't care to speak to (not to mention he was ill with a severe fever), so he took his first choice happily. Hatori would surely set him straight on what was going on! And for certain her would tell him that it was a joke.

OoO

Tohru wandered around the house she was in, a little shocked at how big it was, but also a little confused... Why was she here exactly? This wasn't a hospital as she had originally thought (though that made no sense, considering the style of the room she had been in), she was in someone's home. There were a few random pictures places of people she didn't recognize (all of the males were handsome in some way, shape, or form) and there were several bedrooms. This was so strange...

"Hello?" she called into the almost silent house. Was she the only one here? Certainly not... the orange headed boy would be around somewhere.. what did he say his name was? Kyo-san? Yes, that sounded right... like her mom. "Hello?" she called again, and from a distance, she heard a familiar shriek. "Uo-chan!" she called.

Just then, the blond Yankee girl came dashing around a corner of the hallway Tohru was standing in and gave her a bear hug. "Tohru!" she shouted. "Tohru! We were so worried about you!"

Tohru grunted, smiling. "U... Uo-chan! I can't breath... let me down please!"

Laughing, Uotani released her. Hanajima came into view behind her.

"Tohru." she said in her usually strange, rhythmic but somewhat creepy voice. She smiled gently. "We are very glad that you are awake. But where is Kyo? He said he would alert us as soon as something was known... isn't he with you?"

Tohru cocked her head. "Who? I don't know a Kyo-san... oh! You mean the boy who was there when I woke up." she smiled. "He left. I didn't know him."

Uotani frowned. "What's that? You didn't recognize orange head? How is that right! You've been living with the Prince and orange head and that pervert for almost two years now."

Tohru smiled, but she was confused. "The Prince? I'm really confused, Uo-chan."

"Oh gosh." she said, looking shocked. "That doctor wasn't frigging lying. You forgot everything!"


	3. Akito's Plan of Akito Evil in Vagueness

_Hello again! Chapter 3 :) I'm going to end up an obsessive writer again, lol. Oh well! I enjoy writing very, very much! It is something I do a lot! More than I should... actually. Neh, I don't care! Neh, lol. That's my new thing right now. I'll randomly say 'neh'. Don't be shocked if it shows up in the story! Oh, by the way, I got a comment saying that the person liked 'Slipping Away'. I really liked that too :), but the way this plot is going in my head, 'The Remnants of a Curse' seemed better. Sorry to disappoint. Please enjoy this story though! **Winks**, enjoy chapter 3!_

_OoO_

Tohru cocked her head. "Forgot what?"

"About orangey! And the Prince! And... hey! Tohru! Hey! Are you ok??!!??" Tohru was breathing heavily, and her face was turning very very read.

"U... U.... Uo-chan!" she gasped, and collapsed. Luckily, Uotani's reflexes were fast enough to catch her before she fell to the ground.

"Doctor guy!" Uotani yelled, completely weirded out. "Dang it, _Hatori Sohma!!!_"

The doctor came dashing around the corner, nearly colliding with Hanajima, who was still standing calmly in the middle of the hall. "What? What's the matter!?"

"She seems to have collapsed." Hanajima said, showing vague worry on her features.

Uotani put Tohru gently on the floor and then turned to Hatori; she grabbed his collar and began shaking him hard. "_What the heck is wrong with her?!?!?!_" she demanded, her eyes deadly. "If you wanna live, you best fix her real soon, doctor boy." she was completely serious.

Hatori grasped her wrists to prevent her from shaking him anymore. "If you would release me, I could tell you!" he said, glaring at her slightly. "But I can't do anything with you latched to my jacket!" it was apparent that the two didn't get along well.

Uotani obliged and released him, glaring back indignantly. "Seriously, jerk doctor, if she don't get better, then I will make sure your put into a hospital permanently!"

Hatori merely ignored her threat and bent down to examine Tohru, who was unconscious again. He sighed and picked her up. "It seems my assumption was correct. If you don't mind... Kyo is also waiting to hear what happened and why. I will put her on the couch in my office." he made sure the keep Tohru's head from flopping about. "Come along." the trio headed towards where Kyo was waiting somewhat impatiently for them.

OoO

Kyo fidgeted in the seat he sat in; he had wanted to follow Hatori to see what was going on, but the doctor had told him to just stay here and wait. He was anxious; Hatori had just been getting ready to tell him what the deal was when Uotani yelled from down the hall. He so wanted to know what was wrong with Tohru.

Hatori walked into the room then, carrying an unconscious Tohru gently. Hanajima and Uotani followed close behind him, both looking worried, though Uotani was more open with it than Hanajima was. Kyo nearly twitched; when was the last time he had so dreaded any kind of news?

Hatori proceeded to settle Tohru into a spare couch in the room, covering her with a blanket and such. The silence was long, and almost more nerve racking than Kyo could take. He shuddered; this would not be good news.

Hatori seemed silent, and his demeanor was foreboding. He hesitated before speaking. "As you may have found out..." he said, glancing at Kyo. "... Tohru has lost her memories of the Sohma family. She still remembers her close friends from before she met us, but she doesn't remember anything about anything. I'm not quite sure why, but my hypotheses is that Akito somehow fixed it that way, whether he intended it this way from the start of this or if it was just an inkling of an idea that formed later and was put into action." he sighed. "And, normally, I would suggest telling her about past events to try and jog her memory, but it seems that Akito thought of everything."

Kyo twitched.

"It seems that if we try to talk about the past, Tohru will end up going unconscious again... I don't know how he did it... really, that man." he sighed again. "I'm afraid we'll just have to start over until we figure out how to fix this."

Kyo was concerned. "How are we supposed to 'start over'? We graduated weeks ago! That was one of our main sources of communication, except at home..."

"Then you, Shigure and Yuki should probably get back together and live in that house again. Maybe it would help dull whatever curse Akito put on her." he smiled weakly. "Guess we should start helping her down the path of remembering, huh?"

Kyo nodded. Yeah. Down the path of remembering. Of remembering the Juunishi... of remembering him.


	4. It's Good to be Back

_Hello and welcome all! It is chapter 4, and I am already briefly at loss for what to write! Neh, what kind of writer am I, playing it by ear? I guess I'm a bit like Shigure (but I'm not a pervert xp!)... since he writes things that aren't the same as what he told Mitchan. Usually, I'll tell myself 'this is what I'm going to write', and end up writing the complete opposite of that! Heh, which explains the sequel some... I didn't think I would write a sequel. Originally, the end was going to be one of those 'Tohru, your awake! Oh, Kyo, you remembered me! Yeah, Tohru, I did! _Love confession, kiss, smooch, welcome back Tohru!' _and then happily ever after. But as you can see, that's not how it turned out at all. Now you understand at least vaguely how my decisions can spazmatically flip flop. I'm pretty sure the word spazmatically doesn't exist. Oh well. Get over it. Oh, and about a name change. No can do :) Sorry, I'm stuck on the name now (heh, and if I changed it now I'd get all confused and mix up this story with another one that I'm writing... :)) Enjoy chapter 4!_

_OoO_

Kyo sat on the roof of Shigure's old house; wow it had been a while. Even though he had agreed to this plan, he was almost afraid of it. He wanted Tohru to remember, he really, really did. But he was a little afraid that his feelings would get the best of him... Doing something like kissing her would probably freak her out.

Neh... his heart hurt. She had forgotten him..? This was a cruel twist of fate that he still didn't believe. Maybe he was cursed with bad luck. Or maybe he and Tohru just weren't meant to be. Maybe that was the reason. He didn't deserve her, that was for sure; all the horrible decisions he had made in his life... all the people who had been hurt because he simply existed...

He shuddered at this thought. He sure as heck didn't deserve Tohru. But that didn't stop how he felt about her.

OoO

Mmm... Tohru hummed and rolled over. Light seeped in through the cracks in her eyelids. Morning...? When had she fell asleep? She opened them slightly, then closed them. No, not morning. Later than that... Ugh, how long had she slept? Where was she?

She cracked her eyes open again. "Uo-chan? Hana-chan?" she hummed. She recalled seeing them yesterday... yesterday? Today? Two weeks ago? She didn't know. Maybe... she should get up? Nah... she was already drifting back into the darkness of sleep.

She could sleep... a little bit... longer.

OoO

Yuki and Shigure were sitting at that old table that occupied the house; the table that they had eaten so many meals together at, the table that held so many memories. And that was just the table alone. The entire house was adrift with the smell of old and forgotten memories.

Yuki was surprised that it had stayed exactly the same as when they had left it. "Ya know... Shigure, I'm almost still confused on how things turned out this way. I mean.. we lost our memories, and Akito rigged it so that Tohru lost her memories. It's all a little weird, ya know?"

Shigure, a little absent minded, nodded. "But I think this opened all of our eyes a little, and not just the curse breaking. I never really realized how Tohru's simple presence effected our lives. Like you, for one Yuki. You haven't spoken to that girl... oh, what was her name? Machi? Well, you haven't spoken to her since you lost your memories right? In fact, did you even remember her?"

Yuki thought for a moment, a little startled. "Well... no, actually, no."

"You wouldn't have met her unless Tohru had told you to do you best, and you decided to join the student council. That's the point I'm getting at. Just her little sayings that changed our perspective and such."

"I don't recall them ever effecting you, Shigure."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm an unbreakable rock when it comes to tid bits of things like that." he grinned. "Even when they come from someone so cute!" A hard flat surface struck her head. He let out a pitiful moan in pain.

"Don't talk about her like that!" Kyo snapped, glaring daggers at the writer. "You friggin' pervert!"

Rubbing his skull and wincing, Shigure said, "Came down off the roof just so you could inflict you furry on me, huh? Neh, that hurt, Kyo!" he whined.

Kyo glared and snapped, "You asked for it!"

Yuki, unnoticed as the bickering continued, smiled slightly. It sure was good to be back.


	5. The Bit of Memory that Hurt Most

_Back again! I apologize... I'm not as consistent with these as I should be. I'm working on another fan fiction, lol and the story line has caught my interest. It's for Ouran high school host club. I personally think its going well, but that is just me, huh? I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Things will get a little crazy soon.. Chapter 6 or 7, so PREPARE THINE SELVES! Oh and, PLEASE STOP HITTING ME WITH DUSTY PILLOWS!!! As much as I appreciate the gesture (NOT!!), it really hurts my head! Was the last chapter really that short...? There was over eight hundred words, like the other three..? Maybe my format was off... I'm sorry! **Sobs** Will try harder this time. Enjoy chapter 5!_

_OoO_

Nnn... Tohru's eyes fluttered open again. She was awake almost instantly. Hmm...? Where was she? The big, pink bed wasn't familiar to her, not even vaguely. Was she still in a hospital of some kind..? This bed was really soft... she pulled the fluffy comforter tightly around her, a little wary of getting up. She opened her eyes slightly, peeking into to the bright room around her.

She inhaled, and a whiff of... what was that? Mmm... her stomach growled hungrily. It smelled so good! What was it? She sat up so she could get a better whiff of it. Her stomach growled again. She was really hungry.. when had she eaten last..? She couldn't remember. She slowly stood up from the large bed and looked around the room; why was her stuff here..?

The red cap from long ago from a boy she didn't remember, her clothes, books she owned, a picture of her mother, pictures of people she recalled... and some of which she didn't recall. Where was she? Neh... that food smelled _so _good! She couldn't think very far past the smell of the food... she was very hungry.

Slowly, she rose, pulling out of the warm and comfortable bed; she felt a little wobbly on her feet. Lack of food, maybe? Yeah, that was probably it. She sniffed again... Soup, maybe? Leeks? Leek soup? Whatever it was, it sure did smell yummy.. she opened the door that lead into her room and peaked out into the hallway outside it; seemed empty... hmm. Strange, but ok.

Cautiously, she stepped into the hall and walked down it. Nnn... whatever the food was, the smell was getting stronger, and it smelled great! Her stomach protested against the hunger as she cautiously worked her way down the hall. She walked down some stairs, trying to be very careful, as so not to fall down them, as she sometimes did. She peaked into the kitchen to see an unfamiliar red-headed boy leaning over a pot of... soup?

Nnn... she was nervous! Why? Hnn.. she didn't know. "Uh.. umm.. Hello?" she said, her voice very quiet.

The boy jumped and turned quickly, looking surprised. "Oh, um, hi, uh, Tohru."

_How does he know my name..?_ "Uh, hello." she stared at him for a minute, and he stared back. "Umm... where am I?"

He turned away from her, but not before she caught a glimpse of hurt on his face. "Shigure Sohma's house." he said gruffly.

She flinched at the almost angry voice; now she was confused. Why was he angry with her? Had she done something wrong? "Um... Who are you?"

OoO

Kyo was deep in thought, cooking soup for Tohru. And that was what he was thinking about; Tohru. She had forgotten him, and he was dying. At least, this was what it felt like. Had she really...? Was he really no longer a part of her memories? His heart was being ripped into little rippy bits of confetti. Dang, it hurt. It hurt worse than anything he had ever experienced; not getting beat by Yuki, not being the reject of the family, even the pain from losing his mother was a hard comparison.

He was so deep into his thoughts, that he didn't notice Tohru come into the room, silently. "Uh... umm.. Hello?" she said, her voice very quiet.

He nearly jump out of his skin, barely muffling a yelp. He whirled around and saw Tohru; his heart rate sped up. She was gorgeous; her hair was ruffled form sleep and her eyelids were still heavy. She was still wearing the clothes from the other night, a wrinkled blue skirt and wrinkled white button up shirt. He forced himself to breathe normally. "Oh um, hi, uh, Tohru." he said, briefly forgetting that she didn't know who he was.

"Um, hello." the silence was defining. He wanted to run to her and envelope her in a huge hug, then kiss those sweet possibly strawberry tasting lips... "Umm... Where am I?"

His heart dropped in steady disappointment; he felt his facial features twist into a pained look and turned away, hoping she didn't see it. He didn't want her to know that he was hurting; even if she didn't know who he was, she would want to ask what was wrong, and try to comfort him. He wanted that... but he didn't want it. He was so confused... "Shigure Sohma's house." he flinched at how harsh he sounded. _Idiot!_ He called himself. _You're a fool, you know that, you stupid cat??_ sure he knew that...

"Um... who are you?"

Tears pricked at his eyes; he wasn't going to cry. _What kind of man are you??_ he asked himself. But it had been a long night, and his emotions were going insane. _Get a grip, Kyo, come on, just tell her what your name is, you'll be fine, it's not like you don't know her, she just forgot you and you love her and you need to just calm down and tell her who you are before she thinks your some kind of crazy freak for not knowing your own name, oh gosh what is your name?!?! Kyo, stupid, get a frigging grip! _He was feeling so insanely weird at the moment... he was thinking in run-on sentences and confusing himself. _Just... calm... down._ He told himself. _Say... your... name... slowly... and... clearly._ "Kyo Sohma." he said, hoping he didn't sound pathetic.

"What am I doing in Sohma-san's house, Kyo-san?" she asked.

_Crap, crap crap! What now, what now, what now!!??!! How am I supposed to talk to her like this?? My heart is going to friggin beat its way out of my chest how am I supposed to answer that without making her pass out again don't pass out Tohru!_ He was saved, just then, because Yuki stepped into the room.

"Ah, Tohru, you are awake." he said, smiling at her.

She cocked her head, a blush spreading over her features. "Oh, um, Yuki-san, it's, um, nice to see you."

Kyo froze. What? She.. remembered Yuki? But he was... completely wiped from her memories? He turned slowly. Yuki was looking shocked as well, but utterly pleased. Kyo's heart ached...

"Tohru, you remember me?"

She smiled. "Yes. You are Yuki Sohma-san. I went to school with you when I was in high school. You were called the 'Prince' then, do you remember?"

Yuki's face fell a little. "Mm-hmm, Tohru. Kyo, is that soup done?"

Kyo, still frozen in shock blinked slowly. Ack, it hurt so bad... "Um, yeah..." he turned back to the soup; _I will not cry... I will not cry... I will not cry in front of the rat... I will not cry in front of Tohru._ He kept telling himself that as he spooned a ladle of soup into a bowl for Tohru. _It's not a big deal, Kyo..._ his mind said cautiously. _She just remembers him from school.. nothing else. Just school._

But that was one memory that she didn't have of him; and it was ripping him apart.


	6. Enter the King of Bunnies

_How was that for long, huh? I did good! Oh wait... maybe not :( Kyo may have been a little OC... sorry. Lol, deal with it. How goes it all? I'm hoping you like my story... I think you do... My other one is getting no response, so I'm not sure if I should continue it (not one to Fruits Basket, mind you!). But ignore me and my complaining! Enjoy chapter whatever this may be... ugh, I'm so confused now. Chapter 7? Or 8? 6? I don't know... it doesn't matter though. Just enjoy :)_

_OoO_

Yuki surveyed Kyo's movements as he carefully served Tohru and Yuki some soup; he seemed upset somehow. Wonder why...? There wasn't much to be upset about.. sure, she had forgotten them, but wasn't that better in the long run? Wasn't it a good thing she had forgotten? Now the curse of the Juunishi wouldn't haunt her mind anymore. Now she would know them as people; just people. That was a good thing... right?

Kyo seemed a little... disturbed? That wasn't quite the right word.. he seemed as though he was in pain. Wonder why..? Not like he loved her or anything...

Loved her? Neh.. surely not. Surely Kyo hadn't really...? Had he? He sure was looking at Tohru often enough. Almost as though he couldn't memorize her face fast enough. Did he just imagine it, or did Kyo look at her lips? Mm-hmm, he did. Hopefully, Tohru didn't notice, or she might seriously think he was some kind of pervert...

Nope. She was to enveloped in her soup.

Good. No need to spoil her thinking of him before she even met him. That would be bad.. especially if he was in love with her.

OoO

Tohru loved this soup; oh gosh, she had never tasted anything so good! "You're a wonderful cook, Kyo-san!"

"Kun." he said, his back turned on her. "Kyo-kun. That's what you called me."

Yuki made a strangled noise in his throat. "Don't, Kyo..."

Confused, Tohru cocked her head. "Ummm?"

Yuki smiled at her. "Nothing to worry about, Honda-san. Kyo is just an idiot who doesn't know how to hold his tongue."

The red headed boy stiffened at his place near the counter. "What was that, rat?"

"You. Are. An. Idiot. You. Stupid. Cat." Yuki said slowly.

The red head whirled and opened his mouth to yell something, but...

Tohru, a little afraid that some kind of fight might break out, couldn't find anything to say. Then, she started giggling hysterically. Oh... she needed to stop.. she was being so rude! Oh, but it was funny... these people were so strange!

"What's funny?" Kyo asked gruffly, glaring at her.

"Cat..." giggle "Rat...!" she giggled again, then tried her best to get a hold of herself. "Oh, what a strange way to call someone..." she began giggling again.

OoO

Kyo's hurt had been changed into rage; that was the only emotion he could change it into. This was the only emotion he was acutely acquainted with. He was furious because Tohru didn't remember him. He was furious because she remembered Yuki. He was furious because he loved her. He was furious because he wanted to kiss her. He was furious at himself. He was furious at Tohru. He was furious at Akito. He was furious at Yuki. That was the only emotion he allowed himself to make note of; fury. Any other would only hurt him.

"You're a wonderful cook, Kyo-san!" he flinched; oh he was so glad that his back was turned. San.. being called that made him twitch. Ugh.

He tried not to take his frustration out on her, but her couldn't help but sound agitated. "Kun." he said. "Kyo-kun. That's what you called me." _what you called me..._ a little bit of the former pain seeped in again.

Yuki made a strange sound at him, igniting his fury once more. "Don't Kyo..." he warned. _Warned!!???!!!_ Who did that prissy idiotic rat think he frigging was??

"Hmmm?" Tohru hummed, looking confused. Even though he couldn't see her from where he was standing, he just knew she looked adorable. He very well would have turned around and looked at that irresistible face if Yuki hadn't spoken up.

"Nothing to worry about, Honda-san. Kyo is just an idiot who doesn't know how to hold his tongue."

Kyo stiffened, trying to restrain his fury; he was so mad..!! He was gonna kill something, or break something or.. "What was that, rat?" he said. His blood was pounding ruggedly through his body as his rage spread...

"You. Are. An. Idiot. You. Stupid. Cat."

Kyo turned as quick as he could; angry words were on his tongue when he heard the most beautiful thing he had ever heard... Tohru was laughing. He wished he could just drowned in that sound... Then he realized. She was laughing at him! "What's funny?" he demanded.

She giggled for a second more before she got in, "Cat...! Rat...!" she was laughing so hard, Kyo wondered how she was breathing. Finally, she caught her breath. "Oh, what a strange way to call someone..." she huffed.

_But I always call him 'rat'..._ Kyo pushed the thought away. "Eh... habit, I guess."

Yuki made that strangled noise and Kyo glared at him. He knew he wasn't supposed to mention the past!! But hinting wasn't flat out saying it, now was it? He was testing what grounds were good and what were bad... he just hoped he wouldn't push it too far.

Just then, he heard the front door slam open, and an almost to chipper voice cry, "Tooohhhrruuuu!!!!!"

"Oh no.." Kyo moaned. "Not him... not him. Don't let it be that little twerp..!"

"Tooohhhrrrrruuuu!!!!" the cry came again, and Kyo heard the pounding of feet. There was no doubt about who it was...

Just then, the former rabbit from the Juunishi burst into the kitchen and launched himself at Tohru....


	7. It's a Start

_Hello! And welcome! And enjoy! And all the other stuff I tell you before I start a new chapter... It is a little late right now, and I'm a little tired. Listening to music... Yep. Aren't I exciting? Oh! And I'm sorry it took a while to post this... the charger for my laptop broke and then it died. I'm back on now! Oh... and I'd like to apologize for my completely stupid amateur mistakes I made. For example; 'red' became 'read'. I'm great, huh? And again, I apologize for any OC ness at all..._

_OoO_

Tohru wondered briefly who 'he' was when a blond headed, tall young man bolted into the kitchen and attacked her; it wasn't a literal attack, but it sure seemed like it. He was hurtling towards her like some kind of torpedo... seconds until impact! She shrieked and moved to get away, but found that she was a little to slow at escape.

"Oh, Tohru, I was so so so worried about you!!" the boy exclaimed, gripping her in a huge bear hug. "I remembered you after you broke our curse and then I decided to come see you and asked Hatori where you were and then I came to see you!"

Completely confused Tohru sat there, frozen. She had absolutely no idea who this young man was...

He continued to babble on. "Oh, Tohru, it's been such a long time I missed you so much! Did you miss me?" He pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes.

"Umm... who are you, exactly?"

He looked hurt. "You... don't remember me?"

Kyo, Tohru noticed, looked extremely annoyed. "That fact has already been established, Momiji."

The boy named Momiji slowly pulled away from her. "Oh... well, I guess I just hoped..."

"It doesn't matter what you 'hoped', she friggin forgot, so just stop talking about it!" Kyo snapped, glaring daggers at the blond.

Confused, Tohru cocked her head. "What did I forget?"

Kyo and Yuki both flinched noticeably. There was a long moment of silence before Yuki answered in a calm voice, "Nothing that you need to worry about, Honda-san. You just don't worry about it. We'll work it out one way or another."

Completely confused now, and suddenly very sleepy, she said, "Oh... well, if I can help, um, just let me know..." her eyelids dropped heavily. Without consent from her brain, she slowly began to lean over sideways. "Just... let me know..."

That last thing she saw before she dipped into the blackness was a read headed boy leaning over her.

"I'll let you know, Tohru."

OoO

Kyo gently picked up Tohru, who was asleep now. He was sad again, unable to keep a grip on anger. Momiji, the bubbly former rabbit, had watery eyes as he watched Tohru's face.

"She really did forget, huh, Kyo?" he asked, looking a little forlorn.

Kyo carefully supported Tohru's head with his shoulder. "Like I said, Momiji, that has already been established." he said softly.

"I'm really worried... I mean... Hatori said that saying things about the past will hurt her, but when I said all that stuff to her, she didn't seem like she was in pain."

Kyo started to step gently towards the stairs. "Just don't push it, or else she will get hurt." he threw a quick glare over his shoulder. "And in return, I'll hurt you!" it was a half hearted threat. And he continued up the stairs.

Kyo would realize later that any other guy might have taken advantage of Tohru' unconsciousness. He was actually on the roof later that evening when he realized this... he sure was glad that he hadn't taken advantage of her. If he ever did kiss her or otherwise, he would want to do so with her consent first.

Hnn... if only she could be with him as he watched the stars slowly appear in the sky. Then maybe he would gain her favor... wishful thinking, surely, but wasn't that what a star was for?

To make a wish on.

OoO

Meanwhile, at a certain doctor's house...

Akito was awake, coming down off of a high fever, but unwilling to speak to anyone that dared enter his presence, and very few dared. Hatori would come in, set food or medicine on a small coffee table and leave. He was still unwilling to speak to Akito, who had reached new depths of evil.

Akito, of course, knew this. And he was loving it. Finally, he had taken his revenge on that horrid Tohru Honda. Even if he had lost his Juunishi, it was a small price to pay for avenging himself. And anyways, they were still under his power. Even if they thought the curse was gone, they didn't know that their was more to it than just that.

Oh, how sweet it was to lose so little and gain so much! He was still in control, Tohru had forgotten the Sohma family entirely and he could still play it up as innocent. Acting, what a fabulous invention! Such an easy thing to master and even easier to use...

And, indeed, he would use it. He would play this issue directly into his devious hands. And they would never see it coming! Oh the irony! He nearly laughed at the thoughts swirling in his mind.

They would be played, and not realize it until his revenge was complete.

OoO

Uotani and Hanajima came to visit the next day, and this nearly drove Kyo over the edge. He was under a whole lot of pressure at the moment, trying to care for Tohru, who had, with great misfortune, caught the flu, as well as try to appease the worries of the people who came to visit. He had been up a lot the night before, due to Tohru's illness, fell asleep and then had officially gotten up at seven. From the time of seven to one o'clock, eight people had been in the house other than him and Tohru.

Yuki was a 'normal' person in this house, but he seemed to have it out for Kyo at the moment. Shigure was being a pervert and driving Kyo insane with his pervy comments. Hatsuharu and Rin had come, and he had nearly kicked Rin out of the house for her annoying sarcastic comments. Haru made it worse. Hanajima was threatening him with her poison rays, or whatever the heck they were, and Uotani was threatening to beat him to pulp. On what charges, he wasn't sure. Momiji was too hyper for seven thirty in the morning.

The only person who didn't drive him at least a little insane was Hatori, who at least came, did what he needed to do and left. That was one person, at least. One out of eight.

By the end of the day, he felt as though he might be coming down with the flu. That would be just his luck. Seriously, could it get any worse? At least Tohru had stopped being ill, if you catch the drift. Hopefully the perverted dog and stupid rat wouldn't come down with his; there was no way ever he would take care of them if they got sick. You couldn't pay him enough!

He entered Tohru's room, his last stop before he took a shower. She was awake. "Hey, Tohru." he said, not bothering to go much farther than inside the door. "Are you feeling better?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, thank you Kyo-kun. I hope I wasn't too much trouble... I feel so awful staying in bed while you cooked and cleaned!"

He waved his hand flippantly. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're getting better. Do you need anything before I settle down for the night?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you."

He nodded. "Good. I'll see you in the morning." he turned to leave.

"Um... Kyo-kun?"

He stopped, but didn't turn. "Yeah?"

"How come you're taking care of me, even if I don't remember you?"

He smiled gently. "You're an important person to me, Tohru. Go to sleep, ok?" he flipped off the light and closed the door, trying to keep his cool. Well, she knew that she was supposed to know him, but she didn't remember him. It was a start.

It was a start.


	8. College?

_Hi again. That last chapter was a little iffy on character personality. My main issue: Kyo. Heh, sorry Kyo... Maybe I'm wrong, but I just view it that way... I'm in a great mood today! My cat had four kittens and they are too cute! **smiles brightly **I'm going to have fun writing this chapter, really I am! Please enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! FYI, its really short..._

_OoO_

"_You're and important person to me, Tohru."_

Her new friend, Kyo's, words drifted through her head when Tohru was awake and when she was asleep. She was confused by those words. Apparently she was supposed to know who these people were, but she didn't. Apparently, she was supposed to understand how she was 'important' to Kyo. But she didn't. Apparently, she was supposed to recognize every single one of the people who had come to visit her the other day. But she didn't.

She hadn't felt even a sliver of recognition. And apparently this was a bad thing. Kyo seemed distressed, but he didn't say anything. Uotani and Arisa had also seemed a little worried. She didn't know why. It seemed as though she didn't know a lot of things these days.

Tohru was up early the next morning, almost fully recovered from her illness. She wanted to repay Kyo for taking care of her the previous day by making him some breakfast. Maybe she could get some information out of him if she subtly asked questions... but subtle and sneaky were not her thing.

At first it was hard for her to find things in the cluttered and messy kitchen, but soon she had it organized and in tip top shape and could find things in the blink of an eye (if she didn't accidentally trip in her haste to get whatever thing she was looking for). She decided to keep the food she was cooking simple; meaning Onigiri. It was easy to make, tasted good and was filling. She couldn't really find much else in the refrigerator anyways... So this was her best solution!

She did her best not to breath on the food as she made it; she didn't want to get Kyo or Yuki or Shigure sick. She really hoped that Kyo hadn't gotten sick from taking care of her yesterday! She was really great full that he had done that for her... Oh! She needed to thank him when he got up this morning... unless he was already up. Maybe he had gone for a run? He seemed like the kind of guy who would wake early to run...

Hnn... Yuki seemed like he would maybe sleep in for a while, so maybe she should put some extra onigiri in the fridge for him? She couldn't really explain why she felt that Yuki would sleep in late or that Kyo was possibly out running in the early morning... she just, well, knew. She just _knew._

How she just knew, she wasn't sure. It was all very confusing. She didn't know them. But she was supposed to know them. She didn't even feel any recognition whatsoever, but they seemingly knew who she was. Seemingly? Understatement. They seemed to know her a lot, almost like they had known her for years. But that wasn't possible... surely she would have remembered someone with such bright orange hair! And she only knew Yuki from high school, but they had rarely spoken to each other. And the others.. surely she would have remembered their handsome faces! Not saying that Kyo isn't handsome, or course he is! It's just that the red hair stuck out the most.

Oh! Suddenly, she remembered. Briefly leaving her food, she dashed up the steps and into her room to grab a college pamphlet that Uo had given her. Tokyo University... maybe if she studied hard she would make it into the college!

Determined, she opened up the informative pamphlet and began reading...

OoO

Kyo was furious. He had met Uotani by chance on his run and their conversation had riled him up. "What do you _mean_ you gave Tohru a pamphlet with information about Tokyo University??" he snapped, glaring daggers at the Yankee girl.

"Stupid, what I say is what I mean!! I'm applying there and so is Hanajima, so why shouldn't Tohru?" she yelled back.

"We're trying to get her to _remember_ us, not forget us further!"

"I don't give a crap what you want her to do! And us? My rear end, orange head, you want her to remember _you_!"

Way to stick it where it hurts. "No, that's not true!" he denied, trying to hide his misery with rage. "She doesn't remember any of us and all of us want her to remember! It's important that she does!"

She smirked. "Sensitive spot, huh, orange top?" she waved her hand flippantly. "Sure, sure, I understand that you love her, but you gotta let you go, okay? And I'm not stopping you from applying at TU anyways. You could totally apply there, just no promise of making it in."

Kyo winced. Sure he could make it in... he just didn't want to go to college. He never liked school, and he hated having girls gush over how handsome he was. He hated it.

But if it meant being near Tohru... he would do it. But only for her. That was the only reason he would apply. For Tohru.

Oh, he hoped she remembered soon.


	9. Involuntary

_I'm sorry... I pulled one of my old stunts. It was so short... 977 words... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... but I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far! I really am! Please enjoy the rest, please!_

_OoO_

Kyo was sick and the illness was passionate about bringing him down. And down he was. Disillusion, hot, cold, unable to move, unable to lie still, unable to think straight, able to think so straight it was scary, dreaming bad things, dreaming good things, dreaming things that were good and bad at the same time, feeling like he was falling, feeling like he was slamming against a wall... so many emotions were running through his brain at the same time it was confusing.

He knew someone was flitting around, somewhere in the conscious world beyond the darkness, but he didn't know who. Shishou...? That didn't sound right. He wasn't in Shishou's house anymore, was he? Or was he... was he still during that time where he didn't remember Torhu? But that's not right... he was thinking of her and he knew what she looked like, so how was it he had forgotten?

Maybe this was some kind of weird alternate universe... but if it was, he really, really liked it. Really, really liked it. Even though it felt like he shouldn't remember Tohru, he dreamed about her a lot. Lot's of things he probably shouldn't be dreaming, but he enjoyed every moment of it anyways. He would let the guilt catch up with him some other time.

But for now... he would love it while it lasted.

Because who knew when he would ever get the chance to do it again.

OoO

Tohru felt bad for making Kyo sick. She knew it had been her germs that had spread to him! So now she was dedicated to making him better! Dedicated as in every second of every minute of every hour she was by his side, other than a few runs to the kitchen to make hasty soup or get some water and medicine for him.

She was very worried though. His fever was a raging, ravaging fever that seemed to scorch her hand every time she touched him. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be that hot. She worked hard to bring down his fever, but it was like fighting a battle with slim odds. She would bring it down a few degrees, then it would shoot right back up.

She was also worried about the noises coming from his throat; they confused her. She had absolutely no idea why he made these strange noises. But she had no time to dwell on them.

She was trying to bring down his fever again; she had brought cold water and a dish cloth up to his room and was bathing his sweaty face with the cold water. He seemed to be feeling hot at the moment, since he had kicked off all of blankets. He also seemed to be having a hard time finding a comfortable position, since he kept shifting and turning.

He was also making strange noises in his throat again too, but she heard some intelligible words too. W... What?!? He was saying her name. She could hear it. For a moment, she stared at him, wondering why he was saying her name. What a strange thing.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open. They were glazed and disoriented. He looked at her, but past her. He was confused, she could tell. Then his ember orange eyes focused directly on her. She felt her face turn bright red. What a reaction!

But little would prepare her for what came next.

"T-Tohru!" he said, her name coming out like a groan. His hand shot out and grabbed the collar of her shirt roughly. He yanked her towards him until there faces were centimeters from each other. "K-Kiss me!" he demanded in a quiet, almost dream like voice.

Her face was burning. She was going to die from embarrassment. What if Yuki or Shigure walked in at this moment? Surely Yuki would be furious; she had found that Kyo and Yuki had a very angry relationship, if that word adequately described it.

He tugged her closer and said, nearly begging, "Kiss me!"

She could feel his breath on her lips. She.. she needed to get away! But she didn't. She didn't really want to. Why? She had no clue. She just didn't. But she didn't move either. She wasn't going to kiss him, she was to nervous and a little afraid. The look in his glazed eyes were unnerving her.

When she didn't kiss him, he kissed her. And her shock knew no bounds.

But, in all truth, she enjoyed every second of it.

OoO

Somewhere through the insane heat that was flooding him, Kyo felt a cold spot. A very pleasurable cold spot. Whatever it was... he could taste it. So the cold spot was.. at his mouth. His mind was slowly discerning this. Whatever it was... it tasted like... strawberries?

Oh, deja voo. He had tasted these strawberries before, in what seemed like a long, long time ago. Mmm... whatever it was, it tasted good. Refreshing and lovely and he loved it.

Oh... was it Tohru? He loved Tohru. Hmm. Was he kissing Tohru? That would make sense. But why would he be kissing Tohru? She didn't remember him, so if he kissed her he would seem like some sort of stalker freak. But he had wanted to kiss her. Of course he had. Why wouldn't he want to kiss her?

Suddenly, the small spot of cold disappeared and he briefly wondered where it went before he dipped back into darkness.

OoO

Tohru didn't pull away from Kyo's kiss; she didn't know why, but she let him kiss her. The kiss was simple, but sincere and caring. And she was surprised. The only side of Kyo she had seen was his anger, and she had thought that maybe that was the only emotion he felt. But now she knew that wasn't true.

How was it that a kiss could tell her so much? She wasn't sure, but she knew.

When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes one more time before he collapsed, energy spent.

And for a long time after that, she wondered about the kiss.


	10. Exact Instant

_Did I write that last chapter...? Did I really? Did I even post it? I'm shocked at myself. I don't hardly ever write stuff like that. Huh. Well, there's a first for everything, I suppose. Anyways... I've been really busy lately and will be getting even busier come summer. Lot's and lot's of camping and school and I need to get a job... geez! Anyways, I need to finish up this story quickly, so I plan on updating a lot. Or, that's what I plan. But who knows? Oh! And I desperately need you help!!! In book, erm, something, Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Uotani, Hanajima and the rest of their class went to... went to where??? For their school trip!! Agh, I can't remember!!!!! Help me!!_

OoO

Hatori was suspicious of Akito. He didn't believe that someone who had been pretty much evil all his life could have such a drastic turn around. He did his best not to show his suspicion when he checked up on Akito, but sometimes it was hard. Akito was being completely out of character.

Such as::

"Good morning, Hatori-san! How are you doing today?"

Or::

"Oh, I feel so bad for hurting Tohru! Is she doing ok?"

And::

"Thank you Hatori-san!"

Who wouldn't be suspicious? Not to mention the cheery smiles that Hatori received upon entering Akito's room. He knew he wasn't the only one who was suspicious of the head of the family; Shigure, Kureno and Ayame also shared his suspicions.

But Shigure was more gleeful than suspicious because he could use this for his books...

And Ayame was less suspicious and more weirded out...

Kureno was the only one who seemed to take this personality switch seriously. But he was fairly well wrapped up in a certain romance with a certain someone.

Hatori was worried that things would soon go from bad to worse...

OoO

Kyo, coincidentally, didn't remember the kiss. He remembered being hot, then cold, then hot with a hint of cold, but he didn't remember ordering a kiss from Tohru nor did he remember receiving a kiss from Tohru.

But Tohru remembered. Oh, Tohru remembered _indeed._ In fact, every time Kyo walked into a room, her entire face turned red. She couldn't look him in the eye. She could hardly remain in the same room as him. She could barely hold still in his presence, and had a dire need to flee from the room when he entered.

She couldn't say a word to him when he spoke to her. Any words that wanted to come out of her mouth got stuck in her throat. She would just open and close her mouth like a fish out of water. The best she had omitted so far was a small, mouse like 'squeak' before she bolted from the room.

Yuki and Shigure were suspicious of her actions and frequently questioned her about it. She tried her best to brush them off without arousing suspicion, but her blush and suddenly higher pitch of her voice surely gave her away.

Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima also noticed her plight. She didn't (more like couldn't) tell them, of course, but their probing looks sure were unnerving. She danced around their questions with uncaring (violent) denials and subtle (extremely noticeable) changes of topics.

She hoped Kyo didn't notice...

OoO

Kyo noticed. Of course he noticed. He didn't want to notice. But he noticed. And he was as low as low could go. If he went any lower he would throw himself off of the roof top. It was almost as bad as torture, her almost openly avoiding him. He almost dreaded waking up in the mornings to enter the kitchen and be greeted with a yelp and a hasty escape.

He didn't like it a single bit. But he had to be careful not to sulk, though he wanted to, and let his down-ness show. He didn't want a certain pervert and rat to make snide comments at him.

But, sure as heck, it hurt. He hated being ignored by her, even if ignored wasn't quite the word. What had he done to deserve this? Had he done something horribly wrong to deserve her dislike?

Maybe it was something he said...

OoO

Shigure loved watching the unfolding drama before him. Oh how he loved it! He had witnessed (accidentally) the kiss Kyo had demanded from Tohru. Oh ho ho, and what a kiss at that!

Evey time he saw Kyo or Tohru, he couldn't help but grin. He found it oh so amusing how Tohru avoided Kyo and how Kyo made these faces... oh the faces! It took all his self control not to laugh at those faces!

But he also felt a little sorry for Kyo, since he seemed very affected by this. But oh well! Tohru would remember someday and everything would turn out fine!

At least, Shigure hoped so.

OoO

Akito kept up with the 'nice guy' act only because it was crucial to his plot. If he didn't keep it up, he would be exposed. But he needed to put it into action soon, or he would miss his chance forever.

He was glad that his personal spy kept him informed about the happenings at Shigure's home, otherwise he would have no idea when would be a good time to unleash his plans. He was waiting for the perfect moment to put his plan into action.

And the perfect timing was coming soon, he knew.

He was waiting for love to hit its mark and the curse to make its re-entrance.

OoO

Kyo needed to know why Tohru was avoiding him and he needed to know right this instant. So he cornered her like a cat and a mouse (ironic, huh?). She was in the kitchen, working on some hot pot (stew) for dinner tonight.

Originally, upon entering the kitchen, he hadn't planned to make such a drastic move as he did, but that was how it ended up. He let his emotions get the better of him.

His voice was rough when he said, "Tohru."

She jumped, a small shriek escaping her mouth. She whirled, lovely blue eyes wide.

_Why are you acting like this?_

"Eh, um, nn, um, h-h-h..." she stuttered, eyes flitting to look at everything except him.

_Look at me._

She looked at the clock on the wall and spoke, seeming to talk to the numbers rather than to Kyo. "...I need to go, um, get something..." and she made a bolt for the door.

_Please... I'm begging you._

He caught her wrist as she attempted to dash by.

_Hear me out._

"K-K-Kyo!" she yelped as he whirled her around to face him.

_Please understand._

"Be quiet." he said roughly.

_I just want you to know..._

Her eyes were wide as she stared into his red eyes.

_... that I love you. _

He pushed her back against the counter and allowed his lips to fall onto hers.

But of course, that was the instant that Yuki Sohma walked into the room.


	11. So is the Joy of Hormones

_Lol. For all those who said they would have liked it if X person walked in the room, here ya go! Yuki is now in the room! And has caught Kyo kissing Tohru... Things are going to heat up ASAP. Good luck, Tohru and Kyo! And, I'm going to let you know. Tohru never remembers. Ever. Not kidding. Seriously, I'm not. And prepare you minds for Akito's plan to be put into action. And I don't mean a good plan, either. _

_OoO_

Fury.

Yuki was furious.

The second he had saw Kyo kissing Tohru he ripped Kyo from her and threw him across the house, shattering a window. He was now yelling at the poor cat, as well as beating him somewhat senseless.

"Things were going so well!" he yelled, hitting Kyo across the face. "You have probably ruined it! Even if she took your friggin punishment, I wouldn't mind locking you up in that room, you stupid cat! And now she'll probably leave us for good! She's probably scared of you now!"

Kyo put up a sort of fight, taking the verbal abuse, but doing his best to fend off the physical blows. But Yuki still pummeled him pretty well.

He was still ranting and hitting Kyo when he heard Tohru's voice. "I... I guess I forgot."

Yuki let go of Kyo (whom he had pinned against the wall while he hit him) and turned. Kyo dropped to the floor, wincing and wiping blood off of his face.

Tohru had tears in her eyes and she looked at the floor as she spoke. "I don't know what I'm supposed to remember, but..." the water in her eyes swelled, "... it sure does seem important to you guys. I really.. wish I could remember..." the tears began to trickle down her face. "Like I know I'm supposed to know why you call each other 'cat' and 'rat'. And I'm supposed to know the 'punishment' I took. And I know I'm supposed to know who you are."

She was fighting back sobs, Yuki knew. Her legs looked like they were about to give out. "No, no, Tohru, it's ok."

"No!" she sobbed, covering her face with her hands. "It isn't ok! I should remember... but I don't! And I don't know why I don't remember! I don't remember anything! I don't remember how I know Kyo, or Yuki, or Shigure, or Momiji, and I don't know how I hurt my hand..." she waved her hand wildly in the air. It was still bandaged tightly, because she was still recovering from her cuts. "And I don't know anything at all!" she collapsed to her knees, breaking into heart wrenching sobs.

Yuki had no idea what to do. How was he supposed to comfort his friend??

She hugged her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs. How was Yuki supposed to help her?? He had no idea what to do!!

But then he realized that Kyo was moving...

OoO

Kyo couldn't stand to see her cry. His heart was being yanked out of his chest as he watched her sob. His innards twisted when he watched her curl into a ball helplessly.

He needed to comfort her somehow.

Still in pain, he scooted across the floor to where she was sitting. "Tohru..." he murmured, pulling her into his lap. "Shh." he whispered, running his fingers gently through her hair. "Don't cry, please. Please, please don't cry."

"Why can't I remember...?" she whimpered, burying her face in his neck. "Why can't I remember you?"

"I don't know." he whispered. "But it doesn't matter one bit to me, whether you remember or not. I don't care. I really don't. All that matters is I have you with me. I promise." he ran gentle fingers down her cheek. "Please stop crying now, Tohru. I really hate it when you cry."

She snuffled against his neck, whimpering slightly. "But... but I want to remember, Kyo-kun."

He sighed, her hair ruffling slightly. "I know, Tohru.. I know."

OoO

Yuki watched Tohru and Kyo with a small smile on his face. Even though he had no idea what to do when he saw Tohru's tears, Kyo seemed to know exactly what to do. Yuki was glad that Tohru had someone useful around to comfort her.

He wondered briefly as he strained to listen to Kyo's quiet words if the former cat was lying. Did Kyo really not care if Tohru remembered or not? Surely he did care. Why would he be trying to help her to remember if he didn't care?

Yuki knew that the rest of the Zodiac and himself cared. They all wanted Tohru to remember; very badly so. It seemed as though Hatori was especially keen on her memories being returned to her.

Yuki had spoken to the Sohma doctor recently, and he had sensed urgency in his tone when he asked about Tohru's memories. Yuki couldn't help but wonder why.

Unless it concerned Akito. Then he understood.

OoO

It was funny how emotions seemed to change so fast.

And it was also funny how Kyo and Tohru seemed to have switched emotions over night; now, rather than Tohru, Kyo was extremely jumpy when Tohru was around. Every word that came out of his mouth was a stutter and his face was beat read every time she walked into the room.

Ah, emotions were so confusing!

Kyo was going absolutely insane; even more insane than he was going before! His emotions were flying every which way and he was very confused. They went up and down and around in circles and right side up and upside down.

He couldn't even talk to Shishou about it. He couldn't even get his thought straight enough to figure through a really obvious and simple math problem (he had tried to figure how many people were living in Shigure's house [four {but every time he got to two, he thought of Tohru and his mind went on a journey}]).

He could barely talk to her without making a complete fool of himself. He could barely walk in her presence without tripping over his own feet. He could barely stay in the same house as her. He could barely sleep knowing that she was sleeping just two doors down.

And so was the joy of hormones.

OoO

Hatori rushed through his house, searching frantically. Where was he?? Crap, crap, crap! How could he have let that dreadful person escape! How is it that he let his steady watchfulness slip for just one second?!?!? Now he should be prepared to pay the consequences.

But he was no way in heck prepared to pay the consequences! No, no, no way was he ready or willing to pay the consequences!! Neither, he assumed, was the rest of the Juunishi.

He was getting ready to dash over to the main house when he realized something.

Akito has escaped + He needs to be prepared to pay consequences + Certain things that had happened at Shigure's house recently = ...

_Tohru!!!!_


	12. Poof

_Did that chapter satisfy you, readers? I hope so! Now then.. say hello to the chapter in which you find out my exact intentions for calling this 'Remnants of a Curse'. At least I think so... Thank you for wait patiently!! And this one is short, just so you know, but I'm sorry!! Please don't hurt me..._

_OoO_

Kyo had gotten himself somewhat under control; he could at least say "Morning, Tohru" when he saw her. But that was all he could say. She became very confused when he said "Morning Tohru" at six in the evening. When she asked, he would merely blush and dash away.

Argh!! How had he talked to her in recent times??

He hoped he would loosen up soon, and maybe be able to have a _normal conversation for Pete's sake!!_ Another difficulty his love sickness posed was how completely obvious it was.

Shigure would snigger and make faces at him.

Yuki would look like he was suffocating and make a mad dash for the door.

And Tohru... looked like a puppy dog... an extremely adorable puppy dog. One that made Kyo want to kiss her again.

Though it wasn't just love sickness that was getting to him... there was something funky going on with his brain. He seemed to have headaches all the time, and often found his thoughts being scrambled and his vision blurred. And he knew that was not a normal sign of love.

It was almost like a flashback of...

Nah, he would tell himself, stopping the thought. That was stupid. Or at least, he thought it was stupid.

Then again...

It probably wasn't as stupid as he thought it was.

OoO

Shigure could feel it coming back; he knew it hadn't ended. It was a dark something weighing at the back of his mind, a presence of foreboding and hate that was dragging down his usual happy go lucky mood. Even though normally, his happy go lucky mood was fake...

Oh well.

He also saw the effect it was having on poor baka Kyo, that undeniably naive Sohma. Sometimes Shigure just had to laugh at him, even if the poor cat didn't appreciate it one bit.

But anyways...

He knew it couldn't be broken, at least not the way that Tohru went about it. What a silly way indeed... Like the blood of a girl of meager importance could do anything to unravel an age old curse. Ha! Such a silly hope...

He did wonder, however, why it had worked, for as short a time as it was, the way it did. And then he remembered.

Duh... How stupid of him to forget.

It was to give 'god' a break from the pathetic animals he had to watch over.

Of course...

OoO

Tohru skipped chipperly around the kitchen, thinking of Kyo, and happily preparing food for the Sohma boys. She had found that a crush was developing on the angry, red headed boy. And she figured that he had a crush on her too, since he had kissed her.. twice! It had been her first kiss, too.

But then again, now she couldn't even get him to say hi to her. And that, she concluded, might be a problem. But, on the bright side, she was going to butter him up with some fish and rice. He seemed like the kind of guy to like fish.

She was also going to get some answers out of him! They may have been determined to keep things from her, but she would force him to tell her!

Well... force was a little strong, but she was going to use some of Uotani's girl tactics to get him to tell her! Er... well, she would try. She might die of embarrassment first. The clothes that Hanajima had suggested (a while back, they didn't know of her plan in the now) were so revealing! She never wore clothes with neck lines that showed cleavage, even if it was just a little bit.

And the skirt... it was SO short!! She couldn't drop anything or she would have to bend over to retrieve it and... oh, he would get a full eye view of her...

She stopped the thought, face turning a rosy shade of pink. Never mind, never mind, never mind!! She couldn't do this plan, she would die! Her face was red as a tomato now.

She shivered and shook her head; she had to do this! She was determined to get some answers...! She put her hands over her mouth and told herself to take deep breaths to calm down. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply...

_In...._

_Out..._

_In...._

_Out..._

_In...._

She opened her eyes and nearly shrieked.

Kyo was standing right in front of her, looking at her oddly.

She didn't shriek, but she did, however, trip.

Who would have thought that the word 'trip' would start a whole domino series of chaos?

OoO

Kyo watched her, standing directly in front of her. His heart was beating fast, but he was relatively calm. The run he had gone on this morning had cleared his mind. He might actually be able to talk to her now.

But the worse was yet to come.

She opened her eyes and nearly shrieked, but it seemed that she was so concentrative on keeping the shriek inside her, she lost her balance instead.

She fell backwards, tripping over an invisible object behind her.

Acting fast, Kyo caught her around the waist and yanked her to his chest, embracing her. Big mistake. Almost instantly...

_POOF! _


	13. Situation

_I'm sorry... I'm so sorry.... I know it's been forever... I am so sorry... My summer was really busy... And I lost my zip drive... I'm sorry... _

_^-^_

Poof? What? Poof?

Kyo blinked, blurry eyed, looking up from where he was sitting on the floor. Orange smoke was slowly fading away and he realized something.. a very bad something. He was no longer human. He was a cat! An orange furred, red eyed cat!

He blinked his cat eyes, briefly letting his brain adjust to the sudden change from human vision to cat vision, and looked at Tohru, who was sitting beside him with wide eyes. Her hands were over her open mouth and there was a bit of blood trickling from her forehead. How had that happened? She looked so shocked and confused that if this were a normal moment, Kyo would have laughed. But now was not the time for laughter.

"K... Kyo-kun!" she finally gasped out when he didn't say anything. She was on the verge of a major Tohru freak out. Then it came. "Oh my gosh, Kyo-kun, you're a cat! A cat! D-D-Did I hit you in the wrong places or something?? Oh my gosh, did I hurt you!! Are you ok!!!??? I need to call the doctor! We need a doctor!" In the middle of this rampage, she jumped to her feet and scooped Kyo off the floor, holding him tight to her chest; too tight!

"T-Tohru!" he gasped, eyes open wide and slightly bugging from his skull. She was squeezing the breath out of him!

She shrieked and nearly dropped him. Regaining herself, barely, she held him at arms length and stared at him as he panted to catch his breath. She had forced the breath from his lungs for a minute there. "You can talk!"

"Yeah, I can talk!" he snapped. He felt a sudden rush of anger and instantly took it out on her. The curse was supposed to be broken! Why was he a cat?? "Just shut up so I can think!"

Her mouth snapped shut and she looked hurt.

His mind raced. The curse was supposed to be broken because of what Tohru did... It was supposed to be over and done with. Had it only been a temporary fix? Had it been just a short bit of time that the curse had disappeared? Were Tohru's efforts fruitless?

He looked at her, wondering these things. She was still holding him at arms length, looking confused and maybe more than a little hurt. Her bottom lip trembled slightly as she studied her feet with intensity.

_Dang it... _Kyo thought. _I hurt her feelings again, didn't I? _He yelled back at himself, _No duh Sherlock! _

Before Kyo could tell her he was sorry, he heard Shigure coming down the stairs, yelling loudly. "Tohru! Oh Tohru, are you there? I'm huuunnggryy!" he called the last bit in a whiny, slightly dejected voice.

_Oh crap..._

Shigure tromped into the kitchen and froze; the grin that was on his face slowly disintegrated into a concerned frown. "Oh dear...." he muttered, looking the two over as Kyo gave him a glare of death. "I knew this would happen..."

Kyo, furious and in need of taking his fury out of someone other than Tohru, yelled at Shigure, "What do you mean 'you knew'?? If you knew this would happen, why didn't you tell me, dang it? You know, so maybe I could avoid situations like this!! Akito is going to frigging kill us all now! She's not supposed to know! And dang it all, she's probably gonna collapse again!" He didn't bother to look at her and check to make sure that she still looked ok; somehow he sensed this wasn't going to affect her. Why? He didn't know.

At that instant, there was a loud pounding on their front door. Shigure glanced towards the door with concern written on his features; what if it was one of Tohru's friends coming to check on her? How would they react to a strange orange cat with almost demon like red eyes and a spazmatic pile of clothing on the floor?

The person pounding at the door started to pound harder, and it sounded very much like the door was about to break down. "I'm coming!" Shigure called. He glanced at Tohru and said lightly, "Hug him closer; you don't want him transforming back without warning." Being Shigure, he added, "Unless you wanna see all of Kyo!"

Tohru instantly pulled Kyo closer to her, eyes wide. "O-O-Ok, Shigure-san!" She wasn't sure what he meant, but she didn't wanna find out!

As Shigure hurried to the door, he was followed by the enraged sound of Kyo yelling his name. Chuckling, he left Kyo, in cat form, and Tohru in the kitchen. He reached the door and threw it open to be greeted by a frantic Hatori.

Wait, back up. Hatori. Frantic?

"Shigure!" Hatori exclaimed. "Finally, you open the door!"

"Yes. What is it?" Shigure asked, slightly impatient, even if he was happy to see the doctor. He kind of wanted help dealing with the situation in the kitchen.

Hatori lowered his voice slightly, eyes wide, which was a very unnatural Hatori look. It was making Shigure nervous. "I don't know where Akito is." he said quietly. "I have reason to believe he's coming after Tohru. I don't know for sure, but it looks that way. Where is she?"

Shigure stiffened. "She's in the kitchen with Kyo. The curse is back; he turned into a cat."

Hatori opened his mouth to say something, but a loud and terrified shriek halted his words.

Breathlessly, both Shigure and Hatori gasped, "Tohru!" and took off towards the kitchen.


	14. This chapter is so short!

_**Sobs** I'm so sorry!!! It's been so long!!! I'm sorry!!! Aaaahhh!!! This one is so short!! I'm sooooo sorry!!!_

_OoO_

Shigure and Hatori dashed towards the kitchen, spurred on by the terrified shrieks from Tohru. Shigure reached the kitchen door first and froze in his tracks, only to relax as soon as he saw the situation.

Kyo was standing there, butt naked, shaking his head as Tohru cowered, back turned to him, hands firmly placed over her eyes. "T-Th-_That's _what Shigure meant by 'seeing all of Kyo-kun..."

Kyo chuckled as he started to pull on his clothing. "I guess you want an explanation, don't you Tohru?"

"Yes, please."

Shigure grinned and glanced at Hatori, who was smiling slightly at Tohru's humble, but slightly pathetic sounding, voice. She was so sweetly adorable sometimes, she could get even the most stoic of the Juunishi to smile.

OoO

Tohru listened, wide eyed, as Shigure and Hatori told her about the curse and whatnot. Hatori was the dragon! That was impressive. She wondered if he turned into a big, fire breathing dragon, like in stories, or if he turned into a smaller, friendlier dragon.

Shigure was the dog! She was born in the year of the dog.

She giggled when she learned that Momiji was the rabbit. That fit him perfectly!

Yuki was the rat. He was so pretty for someone who changed into a rat.

Hatsuharu was the cow. That made her smile. He had black and white hair like a cow!

She had to say though, she liked Kyo's animal the best. She liked cats, and Kyo was one of the cutest cats she had ever met. She thought his orange fur was so soft and fluffy, it was funny.

When Shigure finished, she smiled at him. "Thank you so much for telling me, Shigure-san, even though I'm probably sure you've already told me once before..." she paused. "Since I forgot. I appreciate it very much."

He smiled back. "You're welcome, Tohru-kun."

She stood from the table, where they had been sitting. "Would you like some tea?" she asked. "I'll make some snacks, since you said you were hungry, Shigure-san." She hurried off to the kitchen, leaving Shigure, Kyo and Hatori there to smile after her.

Kyo stood up, following her to the kitchen so he could help her. Hatori watched him go, then turned to Shigure. "We still haven't found Akito; she's still in danger here, Shigure."

Shigure waved a hand at him. "Oh, Tori-kun, we'll protect him. Kyo and Yuki won't let anything happen to her. Neither will I, for that matter!"

Hatori smiled lightly at Shigure, but decided to hang around just in case. Akito was dangerous, even when he was ill.

OoO

Kyo watched Tohru for a moment before actually helping; she was too cute not to just watch when she was trying to hurry and make something. The way her skirt flared around her legs as she moved around and the way her hands busily worked was just too adorable to him.

"Would you like help, Tohru?" he finally asked her as she was searching in the lower shelf of the refrigerator. It was more to distract himself from the nice view he had of her panties than anything else.

She jumped, whirling to see who was addressing her. "Oh! Kyo-kun!" she smiled. "Thank you so much, I would love some help!"

He smiled and moved to help her. "What're you making?"

Looking slightly flustered, she looked at the counter, slightly crosseyed. "Um, just Onigri, but, uhm..."

He laughed at her. "Onigri is fine, Tohru. They'll be plenty happy with that."

She smiled. "Really, Kyo-kun? Ya think so?"

He ruffled her hair. "Of course. Shigure will be happy with anything you cook, as long as it fills his belly."

She smiled. "Thank you, Kyo-kun!"

He smiled, but couldn't help but think that it wasn't necessarily a compliment... Oh well. Her smile was well worth it. "What would you like me to do, Tohru?"

"Make the tea, please." she said meekly as she worked on shaping some onigri.

He nodded and got to work. Oh, how he loved his Tohru. Even just spending time in silence with her was good enough for him!


End file.
